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Brian writes -
"I'm looking for a good simple tutorial on welding. My local Northern Tool has a cheap Schumacher 70 amp welder for $99, and I figured I'd pick up that, a mask and some rods, and teach myself how to weld (or re-learn, since I allegedly learned how in 7th grade shop class, though you'd never know it now).
Problem is, I don't know how to start. And I don't know what constitutes good instruction. Anyone on the MAKE crew have any suggestions?"
Welding resources, projects and more - Link.
Check out the links and comments on the welding resources, there are tons - you can also sign up for a class at a local school, usually pretty cheap.
Also, pick up MAKE 03, we have a welding primer.
Primer: Welding - If you need metal stuck together, there is no quicker path than buying a portable 110-volt wire-feed welder. Mr. Jalopy's introduction to welding will help you understand the process and show how you can be a welder by the end of the weekend--and end up with a couple of jigs for the effort. MAKE 03 - Page 158 (log in now and start welding).
Makers, post up other suggestion for Brian in the comments!
Related:
"Welder's Handbook" by Richard Finch (newly revised edition out in early `07 according to Amazon). Many bookstores will have a new or used copy of this. Accessible and useful -- pay special attention to the "Welding Safety" chapter. Nothing is more fun than making sparks and molten metal until it melts its way through your clothing or damages your vision.
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Also note precautions for protecting other things or persons....
Like having those sparks onto your windshield will have a long lasting effect. Also the material can get very, very hot. So keeping children or other unaware persons out of the way.
Don't try to weld without your mask, just by closing your eyes. You might get skinburned anyway after a while. Your eyes will also get so much light trough your lids, that they can get damaged too.
- Unomi -
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There are a lot of promising videos out there at smartflix.com. I haven't tried any yet myself, but there are several reviews by others.
http://smartflix.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=115_27
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definitely check out the welding guides at Miller:
http://millerwelds.com/education/library.html
and at aussie weld:
http://aussieweld.com/arcwelding/index.htm
but there is no substitute for going down to your local steel yard and buying som scraps of plate and angle steel and practicing over and over. the aussieweld tutorial gives some great exercises to do to get better at welding.
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This seems like I should post an article I've been working on about how to make a self-darkening welding helmet, and maybe one on how to make a welder from broken microwave ovens(you can find all sorts of info online on this, the first is strictly mine)
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